IIA 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. J. RES. 24 

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative 

to requiring a balanced budget. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 2, 2011 

Mr. UDALL of Colorado (for himself, Mr. BAUCUS, Mr. MANCHIN, Mrs. 

MCCASKILL, Mr. NELSON of Nebraska, and Mr. NELSON of Florida) introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on the Judiciary 

JOINT RESOLUTION 

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United 

States relative to requiring a balanced budget. 

1 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives 

2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled

3 (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the fol4 lowing article is proposed as an amendment to the Con5 stitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all 

6 intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when 

7 ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several 

8 States within seven years after the date of its submission 

9 by the Congress: 


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1 ‘‘ARTICLE— 

2 ‘‘SECTION 1. Total outlays for any fiscal year shall 

3 not exceed total receipts for that fiscal year, unless three4 fifths of the whole number of each House of Congress shall 

5 provide by law for a specific excess of outlays over receipts 

6 by a roll call vote. 

7 ‘‘SECTION 2. Prior to each fiscal year, the President 

8 shall transmit to the Congress a proposed budget for the 

9 United States Government for that fiscal year in which 

10 total outlays do not exceed total receipts. 

11 ‘‘SECTION 3. Sections 1 and 2 of this Article shall 

12 not apply during any fiscal year in which a declaration 

13 of war is in effect or in which the United States is engaged 

14 in military conflict which causes an imminent and serious 

15 military threat to national security and is so declared by 

16 a joint resolution, adopted by a majority of the whole num17 ber of each House, which becomes law. 

18 ‘‘SECTION 4. The Congress shall enforce and imple19 ment this article by appropriate legislation, which may rely 

20 on estimates of outlays and receipts. 

21 ‘‘SECTION 5. Except as provided in the second clause, 

22 total receipts shall include all receipts of the United States 

23 Government other than those derived from borrowing, and 

24 total outlays shall include all outlays of the United States 


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1 Government other than those for repayment of debt prin2 cipal. 

3 ‘‘The receipts (including attributable interest) and 

4 outlays of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance 

5 Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance Trust 

6 Fund, or any fund that is a successor to either such fund, 

7 shall not be considered to be receipts or outlays for pur8 poses of this article. 

9 ‘‘SECTION 6. Congress shall not pass any bill that 

10 provides a net reduction in individual income taxes for 

11 those with incomes over $1,000,000 (as may be adjusted 

12 by Congress to account for inflation) if, after enactment, 

13 total outlays would exceed total receipts in any fiscal year 

14 affected by the bill. 

15 ‘‘SECTION 7. No court of the United States or of any 

16 State shall enforce this article by ordering any reduction 

17 in the Social Security benefits authorized by law, including 

18 any benefits provided from the Federal Old-Age and Sur19 vivors Insurance Trust Fund, the Federal Disability In20 surance Trust Fund, or any fund that is a successor to 

21 either such fund. 

22 ‘‘SECTION 8. This article shall take effect beginning 

23 with the fifth fiscal year beginning after its ratification.’’. 

Æ 


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